Worried about my dad’s memory

[Cisntc]

He’s early 50s so it wouldn’t cross my mind it could be dementia (although I know it can happen at any time)
I could be having a conversation with him and minutes later he repeats himself. He never remembers anyones birthday even if told on the day. If he asks me for advice I tell him but then he will get the same advice elsewhere and have no recollection I told him. He asked for a Christmas list for children presents, I told him about a good deal to save a lot of money as he has 8 grandchildren altogether. He went elsewhere paying double and claims I never told him about the deal, he also buys the same presents for the same child over and over. I’ve warned him about traffic and to not go on a certain road, but he (his partner driving) goes on it and complains no one warned him.
He was an alcoholic for 20 years but he has been sober for 10. He doesn’t have a great diet because he lives alone and refuses to cook, so tends to fall on microwave meals or take aways. He’s most definitely lacking in decent vitamins and healthy food, would this affect memory? He does have high Iron levels but as of yet nothing has been done about this (I read about needing blood drained to lower it) is this something that could affect memory?
It just worries me as it doesn’t seem normal to forget things instantly at his age. Can undiagnosed learning difficulties contribute?
He refuses to see a gp as he has to go regularly as it is for physical issues he has so he doesn’t want to keep asking for help. He also doesn’t realise he has a memory issue which I find most concerning as many people will say ‘oh I forgot’ or ‘oh yes I remember now’ but he doesn’t.
Any advice please?

This website (see below) has links to memory tests. If your dad refuses to see a GP, perhaps you could persuade him to at least take an online test to reassure you that he’s okay.

In my experience, men are often more forgetful when it comes to life admin and people, as the female members of their household tend to assume this role, through most of their childhood and adult lives, so he could be fine, but if he’s been good at these sorts of things in the past and you’ve noticed a change, definitely keep an eye on him, as he may not have the ability to recognise the changes. Good luck. I think dementia is such an awful disease. I hope you have support.

www.verywellmind.com/gender-and-memory-psychology-experiment-2795662

I'm the same age as your dad and that's not normal at all for someone in their 50s. Defintely see if you can get him to do a memory test.

Alcoholics can suffer from Korsakoff Syndrome. This is due to Thiamine deficiency (Vit B1), so a bad diet would be a contributing factor too. I’m not sure whether it would appear after 10 years of sobriety, but maybe something to consider.

At about that age, I kept asking my husband the same question and didn't remember that I had asked, or the answer. I got very anxious about dementia but it turned out to be an underactive Thyroid condition. Once I was on the medication which just replaces what the body isn't making, I started to feel better and the problem was resolved very quickly. Doctors don't always check for this, so it's worth asking them to do a blood test. Other symptoms can be tiredness and feeling cold. I hope his problems get resolved quickly.

Thank you all I appreciate the advice, I’ll look into all of your suggestions and encourage him to test

I was going to suggest the same thing.

When I worked as a Mental Health worker, one of my regular clients had Korsakodd syndrome, and his memory was completely gone, even after 20 years of sobriety.

Please get him a routine blood test to include thyroid function, kidney function and B12. Low B12 made my memory terrible x